Driving-gear for motor road-vehicles.



G. AGNELLI.

DRIVING GEAR FOR MOTOR ROAD VEHICLES.

APPLIGATION FILED JAN-16, 1907.

Patented Jan. 7, 1913.

2 SHEETSSHEET l.

M m W 1 l m r G. AGNELLI.

DRIVING GEAR FOR MOTOR ROAD VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 16, 1907.

Patented Ja11.7, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

\m Rm Q wk UNITE sra'ras Parana carton GIOVANNI AGNELLI, 0F TURIN,ITALY, ASSIG-NOR, BY MESNE C. 'ISIGNMENTS, TO

F. I. A. T., 013 POUGI-IKEEPSIE, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

Specificatioxiof Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 2, 1913.

Applicationfiled anuary 16, 1907. Serial No. 352,630.

AGNELLI, a

has particular reference to shaft propelled vehicles comprising a motor,driving mechanism, and road wheels.

At the present time, the common practice is, in the case of shaft drivenvehicles, to put the diiferential gearing directly on the rear axle, butthere is an objection to this in that the weight is not well disposedand also the difierential gearing is not readily accessible.

An object of this invention is to provide a driving gearing fora-vehicle wherein the differential gearing may be removed from thedriving axle, and disposed on the body of the vehicle, preferablyadjacent the gear oox, thereby securing a better distribution of weightand greater accessibility, and enabling the driving axle-to be oflighter construction.

A further object of the invention is to provide improvements in thedriving axle. construction, whereby the driving wheels may be splayed.

Further objects of the invention reside in the construction andcombinations of the various parts, all of which will more fully appearin connection with the following description of the accompanyingdrawings,

wherein Figure 1 is a rear elevation of a vehicle embodying theinvention; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section showing the transmission-.shafts, and Fig. 3 is a detail of the difierenti'al gearing and theconstruction for transmitting the thrust to the frame.

Hinged horizontally on the frame at 31 is a yoke 29 having its hub 28rotatably journaled between thrust collars 30 on reach rod tube 18,which latter is bolted to the rear axle 1, thus permitting the rear axleand as sociated parts to swing vertically about the pivots 31 and tooscillate with inequalities in the road on the axis of tube 18.

22 is the engine or driving shaft leading from the change gear (notshown) and carries at its rear end yoke 21 connected to diametricalparts of the Garden joint spider 27 in the same plane as the pivots 31.At right angles thereto is pivoted a yoke 20 having a ball thrustbearing 19 on the hollow shaft 16 to resist the back thrust of,the bevelpinions. Diametrically journaled on the spider 27 at 2-3 aredifferential pinions 40 which mesh respectively with bevel gear 26 onhollow shaft 16 and bevel gear 271 on shaft 23. It will thus be seenthat a universal or Cardan connection is provided between shaft 22 andshafts 16 and 23, and at the same time there is provision fordifierential driving between shaft 22 and shafts 16 and 23. The shaft 16has a thrust hearing 17 in the tubular reach rod 18, and has keyed atthe rear end a. bevel driving gear 15. Theshaft 23 is similarlyjournaled in thrust bearings 24 between the hub of bevel gear 127 andthat of gear 15, so that both of these shafts are journaled in thereachrod casing 18, and also independently to permit differentialmovement.

The entire driving gearing to the wheels flanged halfof the rear axle 1by bolts 31',

and at the front end is rotatably held between the thrust collars byyoke 29, pivoted, as before stated, on the frame at 31, and in the sameplane as the universal joint. Without the rotatable bearing of reach rodtube 18 in yoke 28, the pivots 31 might be sheared off by one rear Wheelbeing raised above the other in going over obstructions. Thereby thethrust, and strains due to obstructions, will be transmitted directly tothe frame through the yoke, and not through the diiferential gearing anduniversal joint to the frame.

Meshing with the concentric gears 15 and 127 are gears 13 and 14,respectively driving the live shafts 10 and 4, and thereby the .wheels 3and 2, respectively.

. 11 and 5, are bearings for the wheel ends of the live shafts carriedby the flanged and dished segments 1, 1, of-the axle.

Journaled in "-trunnions 9 in cone-shaped plates32 carried by the axlehalves 1, 1s a ring 8, the axis otlihe trunnions being coincident withthat of the shafts 16, 23. The hub 6 of gear 14 is journaled in ring 8at bearing 7, and within hub 6 in a spherical block 12 is 'journaled theend of shaft 10, the horizontal axis of block 12 being also coincidentwith that of the trunnions 9.

Thus it will be seen that the angle of the shafts 10 and a can be variedasdesired without loss of power, and at the same time the ends of shafts10 and 4 will be universally supported, and their thrust is ultimatelytaken up by the trunnions 9 and the axle halves l, 1, through block 12,bearing 7 and ring 8. Thus it is possible to drive splayed wheels fromone diderential coupling, and without loss of power, while at the sametime, the differential is removed from the rear aide to the frame.

The rear axle herein described is made out of two stamped plates 1having flanges 33 bolted together preferably vertically through theflanges whereby the flanges 33 in combination with the dished formationof the segments prevent distortion or bending of the axle, and entirelyobviate the use of tie rods. Also, adjacent the ends of the axle 1, willbe secured the usual rear springs for supporting the body (not shown).As shown in Fig. 1, the flanges are cut away near the ends of thesegments, and collars 3d secured on the outside of the segments. Thestationary ball race of bearings 5 and 11 are held inside these collarsand against the ends of the segments 1 by screw caps 37 threadedon'collars 36.

It is thought that the operation of the mechanism will be obvious fromthe description, and that no further explanation is necessary. It willtherefore be seen that by this invention, a shaft driven machine isprovided in which the differential gearing is removed from the rear axleand thereby rendered more accessible, as well as producing a betterdistribution of weight. Also it will be seen that the differentialgearing is combined with a universal joint, obviating the necessity ofproviding a separate universal joint between the body and the axle.Furthermore, by this invention, the driven wheels can be splayed as muchas may be desired, without requiring universal joints between the liveshafts and their respective wheels.

I do not claim herein the novel construction of rear axle composed offlanged stampings or plates, as the same is made the subject-matter of adivisional application filed by me December 15, 1909, No. 533,149.

The specific construction herein described may be varied withoutdeparting from the broad features of the invention,- and variousmodifications and changes may be made.

Having thus described my invention, I declare that what l-claiin as newand desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l; The combination with a vehicle frame having a driving shaft, of aplurality of driven shafts, a universal joint and difierential, gearingconnecting said drivin shaft an said driven shafts, means for pivotallysupporting said driven shafts independently incense of said drivingshaft and of said universal joint and differential gearing, and aplurality of oppositely extending axles adapted to be separately anddifferentially driven by said driven shafts.

2. The combination with a vehicle frame having a driving shaft, of aplurality of driven shafts concentric with each other, a universal jointand differential gearing hav ing a common center connecting said drivingshaft with said driven shafts, means for pivotally supporting saiddriven shafts said driven shafts being each provided with a bevel gearat its end, and a plurality of axles inclined to each other, each ofsaid axles having a bevel gear meshing respectively with said bevelgears.

3. The combination with a vehicle frame having a driving shaft, of aplurality of driven shafts concentric with each other, a universal jointand differential gearing con-v necting said driving shaft with one endof each of said driven shafts, a bevel gear se cured to each of saiddriven shafts at its other end, a common housing for said driven shafts,and bearings for taking up the thrust between said housing and saiddriven shafts.

4. The combination with a vehicle frame having a driving shaft, of twodriven shafts concentric with each other, a universal joint anddifi'erential gearing connecting said driving shaft with one end ofcacti of said driven shafts, a bevel gear secured to each of said drivenshafts at its other end, a com mon housing for said driven shafts, apivotal support for said housing, and two axles inclined to each otherand having respectively a bevel gear in mesh with one of said bevelgears secured to said driven shafts.

5. The combination with a vehicle frame having a driving shaft, of twodriven shafts concentric with each other, a universal joint anddifierential gearing connecting said driving shaft with one end of eachof said driven shafts, said driven shafts having each at its other end abevel gear, a common housing for said driven shafts, a pivotal supportfor'said housing, two axles inclined to each other and havingrespectively a bevel gear in mesh with said bevel gear secured to saiddriven shafts, and thrust bearings be tween said driven shafts and saidhousing.

6. The combination with a vehicle frame having a driving shaft, of twodriven shafts concentric with each other, a universal joint anddifferential gearing connecting said driving shaft with said drivenshafts at one end thereof, said driven shafts having each at its otherend a bevel gear, a se arate pivotal support for said driven s afts, twoaxles inclined to each other and having re spectively a bevel gear inmesh with one of said bevel gears secured to said driven shafts, and acommon bearing for the ad acent ends of Said inclined axles.

ins

7. The combination with the frame of a vehicle, of an engine shaftthereon, an axle structure carrying a live shaft, a wheel driventhereby, a bevel gear for driving said live shaft, a shaft carrying saidbevel gear and connected to said engine shaft by a universal joint, anda reach rod casing inclosing said shaft connected at one end to saidaxle, a yoke rotatably connected to the other end of said casing, meanspreventing relative longitudinal movement between said casing and saidyoke, and a horizontal, pivotal connection between the ends of said yokeand the frame in the plane of said universal joint.

8. The combination with the frame of a vehicle, of an engine shafthereon, an axle structure carrying a plurality of live shafts,

wheels driven thereby, bevel gears for driv-- ing said live shafts,concentric shafts carrying said bevel gears and connected to said engineshaft by a combined universal joint and diiferential gear having acommon center, and a reach rod casing inclosing said shafts connected atone end to said axle structure and at the other end hinged to the frameon an axis includin the centers of said universal joint and di erentialgear.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto signed my name in the presence oftwo subscribing Witnesses.

GIOVANNI AGNELLI.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

